Combined outboard motor propeller guard and runner



April 19, 1955 R. J. SMITH 2,706,461

COMBINED OUTBOARD MOTOR PROPELLER GUARD AND RUNNER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Sept. 10, 1952 FlG.l. 11

INVENTOR RALPH J. SMITH R. J. SMITH April 19, 1955 COMBINED OUTBOARDMOTOR PROPELLER GUARD AND RUNNER Filed Sept. 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR RALPH J. SMITH.

United States Patent COMBINED OUTBOARD MOTOR PROPELLER GUARD AND RUNNERRalph James Smith, Warwick, R. 1. Application September 10, 1952, SerialNo. 308,751 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-41) This invention appertains toimprovements in depth regulators and guards for detachable propellingmotors or units for water craft and has for its primary object to adjustthe motor to changes and draft conditions and to enable the motor toconform automatically to the configuration of the bottom of a waterchannel so that the propeller is always operatively immersed at a safedistance from the bottom in either shallow or deep water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a runner that underliesthe conventional propeller guard and the propeller and is carried solelyby the guard in a pivotal manner for movement about a horizontal axisthat parallels the pivotal axis of the motor at its boat mount.Conventionally, an outboard motor is mounted on the gunwale of the hullof a boat by a bracket and the motor is swingable about a horizontalpivot on the bracket. The motor can thus assume its vertical positionand be manually raised to a horizontal position about the pivot. Toinsure safe maximum immersion of the motor, this invention comprehendsthe provision of a runner that is pivotally suspended from the propellerguard and underlies the propeller. The runner is designed to slide onthe bottom of a waterway and also over submerged obstacles and in sodoing moves about a horizontal axis and maintains its position in ahorizontal plane. The runner automatically moves and forces the motor toa declined or horizontal position about the motor pivot at the bracket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a depth regulator that issupported entirely by the outboard motor, thereby obviating anyalteration of the hull of a boat and necessitating no alteration of themotor, except the boring of a transverse opening in the guard.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a compact, simpleand inexpensive depth regulator, which is capable of being easily andcheaply installed on any conventional outboard motor and which will notinterfere with the maneuverability of the boat and which can be raisedwith the motor for inspection or removal irrespective of the loadcondition of the vessel.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit areattained by this invention, the preferred embodiments of which are setforth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a conventional outboard motor orpropelling unit, to the propeller guard of which is attached a runnerconstructed and mounted in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1and illustrating the runner in top plan;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the propeller guard and attachedrunner;

Figures 4 and 5 are side elevational views of the lower portion of theoutboard motor, illustrating the operation of the runner in sliding overthe bottom of a waterway to automatically raise the outboard motor andmaintain the propeller at a safe distance from the bottom and always inan operatively immersed position, irrespective of the depth orshallowness of the water;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the stern of a boat to whichis attached by a conventional bracket a conventional outboard motor, arunner constructed in accordance with this invention being supported bythe guard and being operatively positioned to move the motor to adeclined position;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of run- "ice ner,illustrating the same attached to the propeller guard and completelyunderlying the propeller; and,

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the lower portion of a motor,with the modified form of runner attached to the propeller guardthereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings andinitially to Figures l-6, a portion of a conventional marine propulsionunit and outboard motor is illustrated and includes a transmissionhousing 10, which supports a propeller 12 that is driven by atransmission shaft within the housing 10 in a manner well known in theart. A propeller guard 14 extends downwardly from the housing 10 and isintegral therewith, the guard terminating in an arcuate free end 16,which is just in advance of the propeller and extends beneath thepropeller.

The only modification necessitated to mount the runner 18 of thisinvention on the guard 14 is the formation of a transverse opening inthe guard just above the end 16 to accommodate a bolt 20.

The runner 18 is in the form of a ski and consists of a flat bodysection 22, having an upturned front end 24. The runner, as illustratedin Figure 2, is considerably Wider than the guard and extends rearwardlyslightly beyond the end 16 of the guard, which is adapted to act as astop and, therefore, engages the body section 22 adjacent the rear endthereof. Upstanding arms 26 and 28 are mounted on the upper face of thebody section 22 of the runner and are in parallelism to engage onopposite sides of the guard 14. The arms are supported in a planeperpendicular to the runner by right angular mounting flanges 30 and 32that are welded or otherwise fixedly superimposed on the upper surfacesof the body section 22 of the runner 18. The arms 26 and 28 are formedwith registering openings that align with the opening in the guard toreceive the bolt 20 that forms a pivot for the arms.

The runner 18 is thus suspended from the guard 14 in a pivotal mannerfor movement about a horizontal axis or an axis normal to the axis ofthe housing 10. As seen in Figure 6, the upper portion of the housing 10is provided with a mounting web 34 that is pivoted as at 36 to a bracket38, which is clamped on the gunwale of the hull 40 of the boat. The axis20 of the runner and the axis 36'of the outboard motor are parallel, sothat the runner 18 follows the configuration of the bottom of a waterchannel while the outboard motor is forced to assume a position in adeclined or horizontal plane, pivoting about the axes 20 and 36.

As illustrated in Figures 46, the runner 18 is normally in a horizontalposition, when the housing 10 is in its usual vertical position, thevessel being in full load condition. The propeller is protected fromseaweeds or the like by the conventional guard 14. /But, when the vesselis in light load conditions, such as when the vessel is being operatedin shallow waters, the motor must be manually raised, since it cannot besafely immersed nor can it be operatively immersed under suchconditions. However, the runner 18 provides for the safe immersion ofthe propeller regardless of whether the craft is being operated in deepor shallow waters and also enables the propeller to continue inefficient propulsion operation regardless of the load conditions of thecraft and the depth of the water.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the end 16 of the guard 14 maintains therunner 18 in a horizontal plane by preventing the runner from pivotingdownwardly at its front end about the pivot 20. As the bottom of thewater channel inclines or the water becomes shallower, the runner 18slides on the bottom and follows the configuration of the bottom tomaintain the propeller 12 at a safe and operative distance from thebottom. Of course, the weight of the motor holds the runner in slidingengagement with the bottom of the water channel and the runner slidingalong the bottom forces the motor to pivot about the spaced parallelaxes 20 and 36. The motor assumes a declined position, such asillustrated in Figure 6.

The runner is especially of value in beaching the craft, since thepropeller 12 can be used to bring the craft right up on the beach,without, as is common practice, disembarking from the craft and manuallybeaching the boat while manually holding the motor in a declined orhorizontal position. Again, the runner protects the propeller 12 fromsubmerged obstacles, such as rocks or the like, by passing over suchobstacles and raising the motor to enable the propeller 12 to safelypass over such obstacles.

An important factor is that the hull 40 of the boat is not modified oraltered in any respect and that the only alteration required is theboring of an opening in the guard 14 to accommodate the bolt 20. Therunner 18 is carried entirely by the guard 14, in other words, by theoutboard motor and propulsion unit 10. It is not an integral partthereof and may be easily removed, even while the craft is in the water.

A further form of this invention is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8,where the runner 18' instead of having a narrow rectangular body section22 as the runner 18, is formed with an enlarged body section 22'. Theenlarged body section 22' is of a width equal to the diameter of thepropeller 12' so that the opposing side edges of the body section 22underlie the outer ends of the blades of the propeller. The runner 18'functions, respecting its depth regulating and obstacle avoidingpurpose, identical to the runner 18 and is pivotally carried by theguard in a similar manner.

While the best known forms of this invention have been disclosed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings,

other forms may be made, such as come within the purview of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed as new is:

In combination with an outboard motor unit having a propeller and aguard for the propeller arranged vertically in front of the propellerand terminating in a free end slightly below the propeller, a runnercarried by the guard transversely of the lower end of the guard andextending forwardly and rearwardly thereof and means pivotally mountingthe runner to the guard above the free end of the guard so that therunner is movable about an axis transverse to the axis of the guard, thefree end of the guard forming a stop to limit the upward movement of therearward end of the runner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,574,977 Johnson et al. Mar. 2, 1926 1,665,849 Haberlin Apr. 10, 19281,686,803 Evinrude Oct. 9, 1928 1,953,599 Grimes Apr. 3, 1934 2,492,965Carr Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 292,181 Italy Jan. 9, 1932

